Portable sign

ABSTRACT

A portable sign, designed for easy transportation by mounting it on a wheel trailer, and comprising a rigid frame provided with adjustable, extensible legs, attached at opposite ends thereof, whereby to brace said sign and maintain it in selected position without removing it from said trailer.

United States Patent [191 Harmon Mar. 26, 1974 PORTABLE SIGN [76]Inventor: Thomas B. Harmon, 75 Main St.,

North Tonawanda, NY. 14120 [22] Filed: Sept. 11, 1972 [21] Appl. No.:287,980

[52] US. Cl. 40/129 R, 40/125 R, 40/125 H,

116/63 R, 248/166 [51] Int. Cl. G09f 7/00 [58] Field of Search 40/129 R,129 C, 125 R,

40/125 H, 125 G, 125 N; 248/166, 469; 116/63 R; 280/1505 [56] ReferencesCited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,824,444 9/1931 Mueller et a1. 40/125 H3,104,895 Feuerbach et a1. 40/129 C UX 2,019,090 10/1935 Pepper 248/166X 3,702,033 11/1972 Coleman.. 40/129 R 3,527,434 9/1970 Mauro 248/166FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 470,095 l/1929 Germany 248/166' PrimaryExaminer-Robert W. Michell Assistant ExaminerJohn F. Pitrelli Attorney,Agent, or FirmAshlan F. Harlan, Jr.

[ ABSTRACT A portable sign, designed for easy transportation by mountingit on a wheel trailer, and comprising a rigid frame provided withadjustable, extensible legs, attached at opposite ends thereof, wherebyto brace said sign and maintain it in selected position without removingit from said trailer.

3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PORTABLE SIGN BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThis invention relates to portable signs and is particularly concernedwith large, outdoor signs of the type used in connection with specialevents and occasions, business openings, and similar affairs.

Hitherto, large, temporary signs have in many cases been awkward totransport and position and, in some cases, have been unstable whenerected.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide large,temporary signs which are readily portable, may be easily and quicklypositioned for use, and are stable when so positioned.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a portable signwhich is easily transported and which can be conveniently and quicklybraced for use at any desired location. The sign per se may varywidely'in construction, but the means for bracing it comprises a pair ofextensible, telescopic legs pivotally secured to the sign at each endthereof and adapted to be swung outwardly and adjusted to firmly supportthe sign by contact at their lower ends with a supporting surface suchas the ground or a pavement. Bracing members adapted to hold theextensible legs in adjusted angular position are also provided. Theconstruction makes it feasible to mount the sign on a trailer or othervehicle for convenience in transportation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevation of aportable sign according to the present invention and the trailer onwhich it is mounted and transported;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the sign and trailer illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end view of the sign and trailer illustrated in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged detail view, taken on line 44 of FIG. 3 and partlyin section, of the means for positioning and bracing the supporting legsof the sign.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION As shown in the accompanying drawings,the'sign, which according to the present invention comprises the signproper, comprehensively designated 11, and supporting means therefor, ismounted on the chassis of a trailer 13 for ease in transportation. Thesign 11, which will be dealt with more extensively hereinafter,comprises top and bottom frame members 15 and 17, respectively, andspaced, opposing, upright frame members l9 and 21, respectively. Theframe members are firmly joined at their ends, preferably by welding, sothat the sign frame, as illustrated, is rectangular in shape.

The terms upper, lower", top", bottom", left", right", above", below",front", back", and similar terms of position and/or direction as usedhereinafter refer to the illustration in FIG. 1 but are used only forconvenience in description and reference. Such terms should not be soconstrued as to imply a necessary positioning of the structure orportions thereof or to limit the scope of this invention.

As best seen in FIGS. 1 and 3, the sign 11 is provided at each end withdepending pedestals 23 and 25, respectively. The pedestals are firmlywelded or bolted to the frame of the sign l1 and are rigidly secured,for example by welding, between a pair of spaced angle braces 27. Thelatter are welded or otherwise fixedly secured on the upper faces of theleft and right end cross-members 29 and 31 of the chassis of trailer 13.When so mounted the sign 11 is held rigidly in a generally uprightposition and may be readily transported on the trailer 13 to the desiredlocation for use.

The trailer 13 comprises a chassis formed of the end cross-members 29and 31, front and back side members 33 and 35, respectively, and a crossbracing member 37 intermediate the ends. The several parts thereof areassembled in a rigid structure, preferably by welding, and are supportedby wheels 41 rotatably mounted on an axle 43 that is carried by thechassis of the trailer 13 approximately midway of the length of thelatter. Extending outwardly from the front end of the trailer 13 andconnected thereto is a towing bar 45 which carries an adjustableleveling post 47. It should be understood that the trailer per se is nopart of the present invention and that details of the structure of thetrailer may vary greatly as desired except as hereinafter noted.

To stabilize the sign 13 when it is positioned for use and prevent itfrom being easily overturned, adjustable braces are provided therefor.Such braces, as seen most clearly in FIGS. 3 and 4, comprise at each endof the sign 11 a pair of elongated, leg members 49. Each leg member ispivotally attached, as by a stud or bolt 51, to the end frame member ofthe sign at a point thereon preferably above the center of gravity ofthe sign. The leg members 49 are telescopic, each one comprising a pairof slidably related inner and outer elements 53 and 55, respectively.The inner elements 53 may be rods or tubes slidable within tubes 55 thatare adapted to be extended to contact a supporting surface such as theground or a pavement. The diameter and crosssectional shape of theelements 53 and 55 are not critical but the elements should be of suchsize and crosssection as to resist bending and provide satisfactorybracing for the sign. Suitable means, such as set screws 57 mounted inthe elements 55, are provided to maintain the elements 53 and 55 inadjusted relative positions.

Adjacent each corner of the chassis of the trailer 13, on the side facesof the end cross members 29 and 31 thereof there are provided sleevesections 59. These are suitably mounted, for example by welding, on saidcross members and are adapted to slidably receive for horizontal motionelongated bracing members 61. The latter, which are preferably. tubular,are adapted to be projected outwardly from the trailer chassis tocontact the extended leg members 55 when the sign is positioned for useand can be held in adjusted extended or retracted position in the sleevesections 59 by suitable means such as set screws 63 engaged in thesleeve sections.

As stated above, signs according to the present invention may be readilyand conveniently transported and set up for use. In the drawings thesign is depicted in stationary, display position with the trailerleveled by positioning of the post 47 and the telescopic leg members 49extended. It will be seen that the bracing members 61 are essentially inthe same vertical planes as the leg members 49 and the former may beadjusted in the sleeve sections 59 to contact and brace the latter. Theouter ends of the members 61 are preferably beveled to permit greatercontact with the leg members and chains 65 are provided at such outerends for securing the leg members 49 and bracing members 61 together.The chains 65 are preferably attached to the members 61 by suitablemeans such as pins or rivets.

When the sign is being transported the legs 49 are telescoped by raisingthe outer elements 55 and the latter are secured in retracted positionby the set screws 57. The legs then will occupy a substantially verticalposition. The bracing members 61 are also preferably secured inretracted position.

When the sign has arrived at the point of use it can be easilypositioned. After leveling the trailer longitudinally by adjustment ofthe leveling post 47 the set screws 57 are loosened and the outerelements 55 of the legs 49 are pulled out to contact the supportingsurface at the desired points. The set screws 57 are then retightened tohold the elements 55 in place on the elements 53. Because of theadjustability of the legs, stable positioning can be obtained even wherethe ground surface is very uneven. The bracing members 61 are thenextended to firmly contact the extended legs and the chains 65 arepassed around the latter with the free chain ends being suitably securedto the members 61. Thus the sign is supported by an A-frame bracingstructure at both ends and is very stable.

The sign proper is susceptible of wide variation. The frame formed bythe members 15, 17, 19 and 21 can, by employing suitable mounting means(not shown), be used to hold large sheets or panels 69 of material suchas plastic, metal, glass, wood, fiberboard and the like on which one ormore suitable legends are applied. Alternatively, the said frame maycarry a inner grill (not shown) to which relatively small plates orpanels may be attached. Such plates may, where desired, bear charactersor legends or portions thereof. Also, if desired, transluscent materialsas sheets or plates may be used, these being spaced apart so that theymay be back lighted by suitable lighting means (not shown) providedbetween them. It will be evident from the foregoing that the legends onopposite sides of the sign may be the same or different and that, ifdesired, when transparent panels are employed on opposite sides objectsmay be displayed between them. It will also be obvious that still othervariations in the sign proper, including the shape thereof, may be madeif desired.

The numerals 71 designate lights of any suitable construction which maybe employed with the sign of the present invention, if desired. Suchlights and any other lights desired in or on the sign can be suppliedwith electric current from a suitable source of electricity (not shown),such as a battery or generator carried on or in the vehicle, or the signmay be supplied with current from an external source through a suitablecable (not shown). Sound equipment may also be provided if desired.

The frame of the sign and the bracing and supporting members therefor aswell as the chassis of the trailer are preferably formed of metal butcan be made of other materials of suitable strength and durability. Itwill also be evident that signs according to the present invention canbe mounted on self-propelled wheel vehicles as well as other types ofvehicles such, for example, as sleighs. Indeed, with a suitableunderframe such signs can be used without any vehicle supporting themwhile still retaining certain important features of the invention.

it will be understood that many other details of construction of thepresent invention are subject to variation and modification withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, it is intendedthat this application shall not be considered as limited to the preciseconstruction shown and described herein but shall be construed asbroadly as permitted by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A portable sign comprising a frame, said frame having spaced,opposing, upright end members, a sign panel with indicia thereonconnected to said upright members each of said upright members beingrigidly supported by an elongated, horizontal, member extendingsubstantially normal to said frame, said horizontal members beingrigidly joined together by members normal thereto to form a platform,which comprise at least a portion of a wheel vehicle chassis, a pair ofleg members independently and pivotally mounted at their upper ends oneach of said end members and adapted to swing, independently, outwardlyfrom said frame, said leg members being independently adjustably andtelescopically extensible whereby to brace said sign in an uprightposition, and separate bracing means for each of said leg members, eachof said bracing means being independently and adjustably carried by oneof said horizontal members and being adapted for removable attachment toone of said leg members.

2. A portable sign as defined in claim 1 in which said bracing meanscomprises elongated members adapted to engage and be removably securedto said leg members adjacent the lower ends of said leg members when thelatter are extended.

3. A portable sign as defined in claim 2 in which said leg members andelongated members are independently adjustable.

1. A portable sign comprising a frame, said frame having spaced,opposing, upright end members, a sign panel with indicia thereonconnected to said upright members each of said upright members beingrigidly supported by an elongated, horizontal, member extendingsubstantially normal to said frame, said horizontal members beingrigidly joined together by members normal thereto to form a platform,which comprise at least a portion of a wheel vehicle chassis, a pair ofleg members independently and pivotally mounted at their upper ends oneach of said end members And adapted to swing, independently, outwardlyfrom said frame, said leg members being independently adjustably andtelescopically extensible whereby to brace said sign in an uprightposition, and separate bracing means for each of said leg members, eachof said bracing means being independently and adjustably carried by oneof said horizontal members and being adapted for removable attachment toone of said leg members.
 2. A portable sign as defined in claim 1 inwhich said bracing means comprises elongated members adapted to engageand be removably secured to said leg members adjacent the lower ends ofsaid leg members when the latter are extended.
 3. A portable sign asdefined in claim 2 in which said leg members and elongated members areindependently adjustable.